Originally Posted on Sept. 27, 2021

My first bite of kunefe was at Alaker Sweets at the Plaza Andaluci at the Pearl in the spring.

Sitting at a small table with my friend from Tunisia, I thought that kunefe was an entrée.

“Here, it’s a dessert,” he said, sliding the plate toward me.

“But it’s cheesy,” I thought. “And what are those green toppings?”

Not saying a word, I smiled and nodded, then picked up the fork.

After slicing through the crunchy exterior, I twisted the gooey, stringy cheese around fork.

“Mhmm,” I said—surprised at the sweetness.

It’s made with a hot plate, he said.

I looked behind me at the cooks at the counter with large, metal plates.

“And to drink—Turkish coffee,” he said as he handed me a small cup.

“Why don’t we have kunefe in Oklahoma?” I thought.

Kunefe dates back centuries—and the popularity of the dessert grew under the Ottoman Empire, according to The Economist.

Today, each Middle Eastern region has its own variation. In the traditional Turkish version, the cheese is layered with “wiry, shredded dough,” and the dessert is topped with chopped pistachios and served with hot syrup and clotted cream, according to a recipe posted by Overseas Adventure Travel.

A few weeks ago, I revisited Alaker Sweets. The ambiance was as lively as before—with families and friends enjoying late-night conversations at tables inside and outside the restaurant.

Down the street, children gathered around the color-changing fountains at the center of the plaza.

After receiving my to-go order of kunefe and Turkish coffee, I called my poppy, who lives in Alaska, and started walking back to my apartment, which was a short stroll from the plaza.

Careful not to spill the steamy coffee as I pressed the button at the crosswalk, I told Poppy about my trip to the sweets shop.

It was two decades ago—when I was 6 years old—that I had my first cup of coffee.

Inside an apartment that overlooked mountains and moose, Poppy and I sat with coffee mugs in hand.

It’s fall now in Qatar. There are not red and yellow leaves falling from trees, pumpkin spice lattes advertised at storefronts, or knit scarves worn by passerby.

But there is kunefe, coffee, and conversations with Poppy—my fall delights.